2013 Top Advisor Rankings: Nebraska

Ranked #1: Ron Carson ♦ Strong communication is critical for any good relationship between advisors and clients. That's why Carson has recently developed two smartphone applications that let clients stay current on his firm's trades and strategic shifts. "I thought the application would be a ‘nice to have,' but clients love the real-time communication," he says, adding, "The transparency really makes them comfortable." For example, after some clients expressed anxiety over Carson continuing to hold Celgene after a big price run-up, he told them via the app why there's still upside. Carson, 48, is also thinking creatively about new investment opportunities: "We're not in a secular bull market, so we need to grind it out and find nontraditional ways to make money." To this end, he just raised $50 million among clients for a program in which the company will buy single-family homes and rent them in nine different cities. "Even if housing just stabilizes," he says, "we'll get a 10.5% to 12% growth yield." --MICHAEL SISK